Aluminium + good spec Vs carbon + lower spec

C-S-B
C-S-B Posts: 117
edited February 2008 in Workshop
I recently bought an aluminium framed bike (with carbon forks and seatstays) with:
ultegra front derailleur
ultegra brake levers + shifters
dura ace rear derailleur
FSA team issue cranks (carbon and look really kool!)
Alex ALX298R wheels

But for 400 euro extra, I could have bought a carbon framed bike with:
105 front derailleur
105 brake levers + shifters
ultegra rear derailleur
FSA gossamer cranks (nowhere near as kool :P )
Mavic CXP-22S wheels

Everything else on the bikes was pretty much the same

So I was just wondering if the carbon framed bike would really be worth that much more, even with worse spec? Would anyone have gone for the carbon one instead? And does the spec even make that much of a difference ? - ie is dura ace that much better than 105?

PS. I realise this may be a controversial topic with everyones different views on frame materials..

Comments

  • kevin_stephens
    kevin_stephens Posts: 184
    It depends

    I am very happy with my Ridley Compact, which is a top end and well engineered aluminium frame, built up with Ultegra, tot weight including pedals is 18.0 lb. The frame weighs 1.3 kg, I could have got a similar weight carbon frame for a lot more money.

    Of course that was a couple of years ago and carbon frames are less expensive or much lighter and engineered for best combination of stiffness, weight and comfort. If I was buying now I would get carbon, but probably end up spending more

    As it is if I really want to lose a lb off the bike I could always spend a few hundred on some good factory wheels
    I want to climb hills so badly;
    and I climb hills so badly
  • primalcarl
    primalcarl Posts: 579
    Some alu frames are unbelievably good, while some carbon frames can feel lifeless.

    It depends on the design. A sucessful ex-racer told me there's not much to be gained in frames.

    I'd be absolutely happy with a tried and tested alu frame over a carbon one
    www.csimages.info
  • azzerb
    azzerb Posts: 208
    I'd have gone for the alu too, and maybe used to the extra cash to buy some decent wheels too, which would more than make up for the difference in frames (if there is any like mentioned in above posts)
    New Dolan Volare (not quite complete)
  • System_1
    System_1 Posts: 513
    Out of curiosity what bikes are we talking about here? At 400 euros more and a drop in equipment spec I'd be hoping the carbon frame was top of the range. If not I think you made the right choice.

    Don't get hung up on frame material too much. I made that mistake a couple of years back and bought a carbon frame when it was the cool thing to have. It was a nice bike but not nearly as good as the £800 (frame and fork) price tag would suggest. I replaced it with an aluminium frame last year that cost nearly half that and it's just as light (full bike at just under 17lbs), is just as comfortable and is much stiffer. Admittedly carbon frames are cheaper these days and by all accounts perform better than they did a few years back, but personally I'd rather save the money.

    Remember, Danilo Di Luca famously shunned Bianchi's carbon bike and rode their aluminium model in 06/07, Tom Boonen rode a custom aluminium Specialized for a while last year because they couldn't get a carbon Tarmac to fit, and Mario Cippolini started this season on an aluminium bike. There's nowt wrong with aluminium.
  • Tom Butcher
    Tom Butcher Posts: 3,830
    I agree - I've got a top end carbon frame with mid range (Centaur) groupset - it's a nice bike but to be honest I'd have been better off with a cheaper aluminium bike and some deep rimmed wheels for racing. It does depend what you want the bike for - if you just want a really flash bike for the sake of it then personally I'd go for the more expensive frame - but if you want something you can race without worrying about too much then probably best not to go for top end stuff on the frame or the groupset.
    it's a hard life if you don't weaken.
  • C-S-B
    C-S-B Posts: 117
    System, the aluminium bike I bought is a 2007 felt z65 -top of felt's alu/carbon range- ( http://www.profirad.de/felt-rennrad-mat ... -8987.html ) and the carbon bike is a 2008 felt z35 - bottom of carbon range - ( http://www.profirad.de/felt-rennrad-2008-p-10410.html ).

    On the note of spec again, I was in a bike shop today where they had bikes with everything from sora up to dura ace, and while I didnt actually use any of them properly, the look/finish and feel of the different specs was quite noticeable - from 105 up starts to look and feel awesome, but below that the levers werent as nice to look at or shift in my opinion( well, prod to the point where they almost shift..) - are differences great in shifting speed and all that aswell?

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